India panic: Bomb threat forces evacuation of four schools

Four schools in India’s Ludhiana city were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat via email, prompting a large-scale police response and temporary shutdowns, authorities said.

The email, received around 9:14 a.m., warned parents not to send their children to school and threatened a bomb blast at 1:11 p.m. It also mentioned possible explosions at railway tracks in several nearby cities, including Amritsar, Bathinda, and Ferozepur, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The schools affected were Spring Dale Public School, DAV Public School (BRS Nagar), Manav Rachna International School, and Podar International School.

Following the threat, school administrations immediately evacuated students and sent them home using school transport or parental pickup. To avoid panic, many schools initially cited “unavoidable circumstances” when informing parents of closures.

Police teams, including bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs, were deployed to all four campuses. After thorough searches, no suspicious materials were found.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said multiple teams were assigned to the affected schools and all safety protocols were followed during the operation.

Authorities later confirmed that the threat appeared to be a hoax intended to create panic, noting that similar email threats had been reported in the city in previous months.

Some schools, including DAV Public School, reported receiving comparable threats earlier this year, raising concerns among parents and staff about repeated attempts to disrupt school operations.

The incident caused widespread anxiety among families, with parents describing moments of panic before confirming their children had safely returned home.

Officials said investigations are underway to trace the source of the emails and identify those responsible, as authorities seek to prevent further disruptions.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada